Iran’s foreign minister said that Tehran was open to diplomacy to solve disputes but not “threats and pressure,” state media reported on Saturday, after the US and three European powers imposed sanctions against the country’s aviation sector.
Abbas Araqchi’s comments come a day after The European Union’s chief diplomat said the bloc is considering new sanctions targeting Iran’s aviation sector, in reaction to reports Tehran supplied Russia with ballistic missiles in its war against Ukraine.
“Iran continues on its own path with strength, although we have always been open to talks to resolve disputes … but dialog should be based on mutual respect, not on threats and pressure,” Araqchi said, according to the official news agency IRNA.
Sanctions will not solve problems
Araqchi said on Wednesday that Tehran had not delivered any ballistic missiles to Russia and sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States and three European powers would not solve any problems between them.
The United States, Germany, Britain, and France on Tuesday imposed new sanctions on Iran, including measures against its national airline Iran Air.
G7 foreign ministers condemn Iran’s export of ballistic missiles to Russia
The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized powers condemned on Saturday “in the strongest terms” Iran’s export and Russia’s procurement of Iranian ballistic missiles.
“Iran must immediately cease all support to Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable war against Ukraine and halt such transfers of ballistic missiles, UAVs (drones) and related technology, which constitute a direct threat to the Ukrainian people as well as European and international security more broadly,” the G7 ministers said in a statement.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to hold Iran to account for its unacceptable support for Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine that further undermines global security. In line with our previous statements on the matter, we are already responding with new and significant measures.”
Italy currently holds the presidency of the G7 group of wealthy nations which also includes the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France and Canada.
